Tuesday, April 13, 2010

After nearly 9 years, it is finally time for my lovely 1997 Nissan Sentra GXE (aka Edward) to retire.

We went car shopping on Saturday just planning on doing some test drives. We wanted to see how the online reviews we had been reading matched up with the real world cars. By the end of the long day, we drove this baby home.

(photo from the dealership's ad)

Edward and I have been together just slightly longer than Paul and I have been together. Paul and I shared him for all of our time in Boston and after. Edward drove us on the move to Boston and on the move back, on many road trips, on errands and on the occasional joy ride. Paul and I both felt attached to our little blue engine that could and a little sentimental about letting him go. But, we both admitted that it was time.

a little side by side shot

How did we know it was time? Well, I posted about the most recent trouble a little over a week ago. But, even before that, we had seen the writing on the wall for Edward. Here are a few examples:

Proof The First - The Animal Admitting HoleOn this camping trip, after the bear visited us at our campsite, we decided to sleep in the car. During that restless night, I awoke to scratching sounds. I couldn't figure out what it was but I figured out the sounds were coming from the trunk. The next morning, I inspected the trunk and found that the wheel well for the spare tire had a rusted out hole big enough to admit small creatures. The sound I heard was these creatures feasting on the food we were keeping in the trunk so as to avoid feeding the bears.

Proof The Second: Body in the TrunkOver the years I have noticed an increasing, yet sporadic water problem in the trunk. Sometimes after it rained, I would find a soggy trunk (and trunk contents). I'd tried to figure out the source of the leak myself, but couldn't identify where it was getting in. Once, I even brought it to the mechanic to have it fixed. My technique for figuring out the leak was to take note of where the wet things in my trunk were located and then to try to match that up with possible sources. His technique was much more interesting. He grabbed a flashlight, climbed inside my trunk, shut himself in and had someone douse the car with a water hose. Despite risking a claustrophobic attack, he could not identify the source of the leak either. So, from that point on, anything that was in my trunk was fair game for getting soaked.

Proof The Third: Hello/GoodbyeThe cd/radio in the car has been getting progressively worse over the last year and a half. It has gotten to the point where it can perform a slew of tricks.Included in its repertoire of tricks are the following:1. ceasing to play music, but instead running alternate "Hello", "Goodbye", "Hello", "Goodbye" messages across the screen2. ceasing to play music, but instead repeatedly ejecting the CD3. playing music, yet simultaneously incorporating a hideous squealing noise

There are others, but let's just leave it at that so that Edward can maintain his last shred of dignity.

I am especially grateful for Edward's last great act of kindness to us. He netted us a trade-in value that was twice what I had hoped for. Thanks, Edward! We hope he finds new life with some high school kid.

Paul and I are now happy to have a brand new used car, a 2005 Toyota Matrix (personalized name pending). Feel free to leave Matrix/Trinity comments below ;)

Part of the reason we bought our car so quickly was that we found the right car at the right price at a dealership that has a 3 day return policy. These days afforded us time to take the dogs for a ride to see how they like their hatchback space.

We got to test the cargo space with a trip to my Dad's house for a giant tomato cage and a trip to Menards for gardening supplies.

edward must have been friends with my last car--a kia named something like "piece of shit" or "loser." she had radio problems, too, like continuing to play cds/cassettes even when the keys had been taken out! it was frightening! but she found a home with a great teenager and has given us lots of laughs about the past. i'm glad edward was so good to you as to give you your new matrix as well :) welcome, "neo/trinity/matrix."

About Me

I'd call myself a maker. More specifically: a knitter, an urban gardener, a food preserver, a cook, a baker, a reader, a photo taker, a budding sewist and an all-around dabbler. I enjoy using this space to record the things I see, make, eat, and do.

Cast of Characters: Paul

My husband and co-conspirator on the much linked to Mega Man hat. He is the house expert when it comes to all things with electrical cords/chargers and/or anything that requires configuring. When I first met Paul he was a smoker and a vegetarian. Now he is a non-smoker who enjoys making smoked meat in his BBQ. Paul recently dove headfirst into brewing beer and is quickly acquiring mad brewing skills. If you are really lucky, he will invite you to one of his Meat Meet Supper Club dinners or Beer Release parties.

Cast of Characters: Fanny

Fanny joined our family in 2008 and has been keeping our laps warm ever since then. When we met Fanny at a shelter in Boston, we thought she was a small, adult cat. We were wrong. She must have been less than a year old, because when we brought her home and fed her, she kept getting bigger and bigger and fluffier and fluffier. In addition to her stellar cuddling skills, Fanny’s claim to fame is that she is a polydactyl cat with a fused or “super” claw. We think she is super in every way.

Cast of Characters: Uli

Uli joined our family on Valentine's Day of 2015. We met him when he was just a few hours old and took him into our home at 7 weeks old. We are looking forward to many years of shared experiences and adventures with this inquisitive and energetic German Shorthaired Pointer pup.

Cast of Characters: Camilla Cordon Bleu

Camilla is our chicken with charm. She is usually the first one to come running to see if you have a treat for her. She is also the chicken most likely to be found perched somewhere she shouldn’t be or wandering off by herself to explore a new area first. Camilla is a Barred Rock, lays brown eggs and is the smallest bird in our flock.

Cast of Characters: Nellie Noodle Soup

Nellie is our bridge bird as she seems to hold the flock together. She usually roosts between Camilla and Petunia and can be found happily foraging alongside either one of them. The only thing that ruffles her feathers is finding herself alone. She is a Rhode Island Red and our biggest hen. Nellie is our first layer and lays brown eggs.

Cast of Characters: Petunia Pot Pie

Petunia is our crafty dodger. She is the hardest to catch and the last to be won over with treats. Her feathers are beautifully ornate which helps make up for her slightly bullyish attitude towards Camilla. She is an Ameraucana and and she lays light blue eggs for us.

In Memoriam: Tchazo

Tchazo, our Weimaraner, was born 3 days before Paul and I had our first date. During our first date, Paul and I egged each other on about getting dogs. Eight weeks later, Tchazo became a part of our lives. After almost 12 amazing years and countless adventures together, we said goodbye to Tchazo in 2014. Tchazo loved life, especially the parts that include eating, smelling, sunbathing, playing and cuddling on the bed. We will forever remember him and the lessons he taught us about joy.

In Memoriam: Jack

I adopted Jack at about the same time Paul bought Tchazo (see previous note about egging each other on), but since Tchazo was young and needed to stay with his mom for a few more weeks, Jack came into our house first. For a while, he HATED Tchazo but they eventually became 24-7 buddies. After nearly 11 years together, we had to put Jack down in March of 2013. Jack was a little crazy in the head, but we learned how to live with it. His favorite things included licking the floor, lying under the couch and gazing at me longingly. Jack was physically incapable of wagging his tail whilst being petted. I like to think it is because he was soaking up the love so intensely that it required his full concentration.